(from Chicago, IL )
June 06 ,2003
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 Jim Muellner, Jeff Reser, Mayor Preston Daniels, Jason Reser |
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Well the party's over here! We had a nice crowd and lots of media coverage. The best thing is that the weather held out. Just after the lunch (Subways and Gatorade) and when everyone started leaving, the biggest, blackest rain clouds you have ever seen rolled in with rain drops the size of baseballs and the wind was terrific. One of my friends told me I must be living right. She said God must have said "Hold off just one more minute until the NBG leaves" and it did. (I just found out it is hailing on the west side (near Bike World) - hope everyone made it back.
Jeff and Peter did not make it in from Minneapolis. They were about 30 miles out at noon and then had to find shelter from the rain in the next town. However, Peter's parents were here. What a great bunch. We had radio stations, TV stations, Newspaper reporters. Camera's everywhere. We were on live on some of the noon news shows. Right now two teenager are sitting outside my office waiting for Peter and Jeff. Lorna Davros |
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 Jim Muellner leaving Chicago on the IM Trail |
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We gathered at city hall and shook hands all around. It was fun seeing Jason and Jeffery again. Though we did get separated early on, we both had a great experience getting to Des Moines.
This morning in an attempt to meet up with Josh Lukins, the event organizer at Bike World, I hopped on the trail and unfortunately made a couple of wrong turns and wound up taking a 20 mile unexpected tour of Des Moines. There is some construction going on and I was rerouted and so turned around that when I saw the gold dome of the capital again I headed it for it and essentially restarted my ride. By now it was 10:30 AM, the time I had planned to be at Bike World. I really had to book it to get to Bike World so we could start our ride to City Hall. I know the Des Moines riders who read this will say. "Is this guy really going to find his way to the west coast?" Like Daniel Boone I have never been lost, just bewildered for a few days, today was one.
The city is very friendly, there was a concert along the river where the Shemekia Copeland group played and sang for us. The crowd loved her.
Des Moines has a wonderful museum covering the Civil War with lots of artifacts and letters from the soldiers. In the museum, we learned a great deal about Iowa's part in the Civil War. They supplied 76,000 men and lost 12,000. More than 9,000 came home missing one limb. They contributed over 10 % of there male population, the most of any state of its size.
The state capital with its gold dome is very impressive and came be seen from a great distance to guide you down town. I even walked up to the Whispering Balcony, so named because when you face the wall and talk you can hear it all around the balcony.There are 29 types of marble and 13 types of wood used. There are 1471 interior steps and I think the guide had us walk up every one.
I learned more about this city than any other that I have visited so far on this ride. All this while the location of the capital and other government buildings over looking the river make for a great setting.
We thanked the many local riders who rode down with us and our fellow riders, Jeffery and Jason. Soon everyone was running for cover due to the rain storm and figuring how to get back home. I went to tune up my Raven for the next leg of my journey. With all the good wishes from everyone, from here it should be a breeze, hopefully a breeze from the east.
Love to all, Jim Muellner
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Des Moines |
Till today, the days were pretty much corn, corn and more corn, but today seemed consumed with a need to always know the time and how much of a chance we still had to make the Des Moines party. Actually, Peter and I made good time all day skipping food or rest breaks in favor of munching while riding to keep the momentum going toward Des Moines. We did stop briefly to repair Peter's rear rack as it had lost it's mounting screw holding it to the rear dropout. No big deal to fix as we got some mechanics wire and put it back in place. Time lost: 10 minutes tops.
We arrived at the far NW side of Des Moines (Polk City to be exact) and admitted to ourselves that we were going to be too late to join the others for the big ride into town but we were darn close to being able to make the proclamation ceremony if we had a quick route in. We called in and were advised to jump on the city trail as it would take us right downtown. Sounded good but we soon found out that the trail was the most awful route possible, especially considering our deadline. The trail is shown on the IA bicycle map as a clean, straight line all the way downtown but we soon found ourselves doing endless S-turns, loops that went in and out of the woods (hey, didn't we already ride by that?), and killer hills that nearly all required a drop to the granny gear. At this rate I figured we'd be lucky to make it by the weekend. Peter decided we'd locate a road, any road, get out of this purgatory, and make a road rally into town. Here comes a kid riding the opposite way on the trail holding up a radio as he says "storm warning!". He kept riding. Hmmmm...
Peter and I traversed down a hill from the trail and onto a roadway. Yes! Now we're on our way!
Hmmm...sky is kinda black all of a sudden.
We ride on.
About two blocks later, the sky opens up with a torrential downpour complete with hail and a fierce wind to finish it off. Gotta press on and make our meeting. Suddenly a man appears on our right yelling at us to come into his business and take shelter as we're under a tornado watch and storm warning.
Six miles from downtown and we're stranded!
I call my son, Mitch, downtown who has travelled to meet me and take me and my bike home and hear that the weather is fine downtown as our surprise storm hasn't arrived there yet.
Peter and I wait out the storm over a coffee and a Diet Coke, make small talk with employee Megan, check our e.mail, and finally take off when the rain tapers off a bit.
By the time we arrived, when it hit downtown, the storm had chased away everyone who had been at the city hall ceremony. Jim retreated to his hotel across the street and the brothers Reser to the public library a few doors down. Peter and I pulled in and Jim quickly appeared from nowhere with an outstretched hand to welcome us. Jeff and Jason Reser soon showed up as well and we gathered for a picture on the city hall steps. After handing off our proclamations to Jim, we all said our good-byes and went our separate ways as quickly as we had come together. I guess our adventure had come to a conclusion already.
It was a great ride!
Thanks Peter for sharing the road, spirit, song (it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood...), and yes, the tequila.
Thanks Jim for your spirit, energy, and efforts. You are an inspiration to all!
And thanks Martin for your work with the National Bicycle Greenway and the Mayor's Ride! Let's make next year an even bigger event!
Signing off for now...
God's blessings and safe travels to all!
Jeff Longtin
cyclogical recumbent bicycles
 Des Moines bike club representatives welcome NBG |
Thanks to everyone participating in the parade to City Hall and thanks to the Borgen family for a classy Italian dinner, plus delivering our boxed bikes to Fedex. Best wishes to all these quite nice people!
Jeff Reser
 Des Moines Skyline by Jeff Reser |
 Mayor Daniels Reads NBG Day Proclamation |
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Peter Borgen, Jim Muellner, Jeff Longtin and the Resers in front of Des Moines City Hall |
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Postscript: Josh Lukins, pictured here with Jason and Jim, a driving force in making ours a most successful event., underwent brain surgery a week after our reception when he crashed in a bicycle race. Lorna Davros recently spoke with him and here is her report: |
Josh Lukins called me at home yesterday in very good spirits. Only one week after his brain surgery and he is already campaigning for bike safety and helmet safety. He said that the helmet saved his life and he would like to get the word out. We will work with Mayor Daniels and the press to see what we can do to help him. He is a great young man with a terrific sense of humor. He said that if you didn't count the brain surgery this was the best crash he has ever had - "No Strawberries!" Also, he is thinking of working with TREK to see if they can develop a new material to patch the hole in his head, left from the surgery. Not a bad idea I told him, many modern day miracles are the result of an accident. Anyway, he is still a little weak and recovering at home, surrounded by his family and friends, but otherwise in good spirits. It was good to talk with him and find out the extent of his injuries and the progress of his recovery. If it hadn't been for NBG he would still be just a face in the crowd, now he is part of the family. |
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